Device for stretching web material



1961 E. A. LAND, JR 2,984,934

' DEVICE FOR STRETCHING WEB MATERIAL Filed June 12, 1956 [mean A. [AH0419.

ATTOQ/VEY United States Patent 2,984,934 DEVICE FOR STRETCHING WEBMATERIAL Everett A. Land, Jr., 402 Morehead Ave., Durham, N.C.

Filed June 12, 1956, Ser. No. 590,932

2 Claims. (Cl. 45-138) The present invention relates to a web-tensioninginstrument employed by upholsterers and relates more particularly to atool for subjecting a strip of webbing material to a tension beforefastening a free end of the webbing securely to the framework of anarticle of furniture in order to support a load to which the furnituremay be subjected.

The conventional upholsterers webbing-stretcher tool consists of a blockof wood in which a pair of opposite edges are concaved sufiiciently toprovide a convenient gripping handle for the upholsterer and one of theother tool edges is provided with a row of web-engaging elements whichelements may pierce the webbing material to assure a firm grip on theWebbing during the tensioning process, and the other edge of thestretcher may be padded with a suitable friction material to eliminate,as much as possible, any slippage of the stretcher from a stationarysupporting base as tension is applied to the webbing and while thewebbing is fastened to a furniture framework. These implements of theprior art are satis factory for the most part when used in conjunctionwith furniture frames having rectilinear lines or surfaces, however,modifications and improvisions are usually required for these tools whencurvilinear contour frame furniture is to be webbed. With the presenttrend in furniture being toward contour sectional furniture, these toolsof the prior art have proven to be inadequate for manipulation of thestrips of webbing particularly since it is extremely difiicult to attaina uniform tension across the width of the webbing. Obviously, unless aweb is uniformly tensioned, there will be unequal load distributionwhich will result inevitably in more frequent reupholstering of thefurniture.

An appreciation of the problem involved in applyi ng a webbing tocontour furniture has been recognized previously, as for example, in US.Patent No. 432,428, of Mbrton, wherein there is disclosed an articulatedhandle jointed intermediate its length to enable one to set the toohtodifferent angular positions with the broad base of the tool supported ina fixed position against the furniture frame by means of an antislip pador a plurality of engaging teeth. Constant manipulation of the tool toorient the tool position from one angular setting to another is not onlyextremely awkward but also is very time consuming.

Therefore, an object of this invention is the provision of amulti-purpose web-stretching implement which may be used for applying awebbing fabric either to a rectilinear or to a curvilinear furnitureframe.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of aweb-stretching tool which may be readily pivoted to suitable angularpositions about a point of load concentration as the tool is employed toapply a tension to a webbing.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an integralupholsterers web-stretcher device in which the base of the handle membermay be made to firmly engage a furniture frame to enable increased2,984,934 Patented May 23, 1961 purchase about a single pivot positionas a webbing is subjected to a tension load.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an integralfurniture web-stretcher in which a webbing material may be displacedlaterally as a substantially uniform tension is applied across the widthof the web without sliding or shifting the tool to compensate formisalignment of a reach of the Webbing.

Yet still another object of the present invention is the provison of aweb-stretcher in which a tension once applied to a webbing need not bereleased when the webbing is shifted laterally.

Further objects of the present invention are to provide a durableweb-stretching implement of sturdy construction which is simple tomanufacture and one which has a minimum number of components as well asone which requires a minimum of maintenance.

Other objects and advantages of this novel webstreteher will be readilyapparent to those skilled in this art during the course of the followingdescription of two embodiments of the present inventive concept had inconjunction with the accompanying drawing which forms a part of thisspecification and in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of one embodiment of the present inventionillustrating two positions of tool application when supported against afurniture frame;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View taken substantially along theplane of line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified form of the present inventiveconcept; and i Fig. 4 is a side view, with a section removed, as takenalong the plane of line 44 of Fig. 3 of the form illustrated in Fig. 3with the tool in an open position.

Referring to the drawing and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 there isillustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention in which aweb-stretcher device 10 comprises a web-engaging element plate member 11to which a plurality of web-engaging elements or teeth 12 is securelyretained and a handle 13 which is fastened to the plate member with theends of the handle terminating in prong-like projections fornon-slipping engagement with a furniture frame.

The plate member 11 may be made of solid rod stock to provide therequisite resistance to bending and other stresses to which the tool maybe subjected during the tensioning process. It will be apparent thattubing or other structural shapes may be used with substantially similarresults.

Disposed in axially spaced relation and securely fastened to the platemember 11, such as by soldering or welding or other suitable means, is asingle row of radially or outwardly projecting web-engaging elements orteeth 12. The individual elements 12 are usually made of heattreatedhigh-speed tool steel, and consequently care must be exercised infastening the individual elements to the plate member 11 in order toreduce the possibility of annealing the elements whereby they may bebent or distorted quite readily.

The handle portion 13 of the stretcher, in the embodiment illustrated,is formed of two elongated and laterally spaced arms 14 and 15, each ofwhich projects transversely from the plate member 11 from positions onthe plate member preferably equidistant from the center position of thehandle. Each of the arms 14 and 15 is securely fastened, as by welding,to the cylindrical surface of the plate member along an element oppositeto the single row of elements 12. Arm 14 reaches rectilinearly for alength sufiicient to provide a handle grasping portion 14a. Extendingbeyond the handle grasping portion 14a there is an offset portion 14bwhich diverges from the center line of the tool for a short length afterwhich the arm is bent sufiiciently to return to form the i 3 straightend reach 140 which terminates in a load bearing point or prong 14d.

The arm 15 is also provided with a hand grasping portion'15a'whicl1' isparallel to 'the hand'grasping portion 14a of the other arm 14. The arm15 'is also provided with anoffset portion 15b which converges towardthe center line of the tool and this offset portion is' substantiallyparallel to the offset portion 14b of the arm 14. The offset portion 15bof the arm'15 terminates at approximately the center line of the handleand the arm extends linearly for a straight length 15c which is parallelto the tip end 14c of the arm 14. Similarly, the end of the arm 15 isprovided with a prong 15d. It has been found desirable to have the tipprong end 15d of arm 15 to coincide with the perpendicular bisector. ofthe plate member '11 which is also the center line of the tool for thepurposes to be described hereinafter. In the embodiment illustrated theoverall reach of the arms 14 and 15 are substantially the same.

A transverse strut member 16 reaches between the straight tip ends 140and 15c and is secured to the arms asbywelding to provide increasedrigidity to the arms adjacent to the positions of greatest loadconcentration.

'It will be apparent that the overall length of the handle portion 13 ofthe tool may vary so that an operator may apply suificient leverage whenthe tool is firm-1y positioned for application of adequate stretchingtension to a webbing material engaged by the elements 12 without thenecessity of excessive force being applied to the tool.

In the use of this versatile web-stretcher for applying Webbing to aconventional straight reach of furniture framework or one in which theframework sides to be webbed are parallel, the webbing is fastened ortacked to one side of the framework with a reach of the webbingextending beyond the opposite side of the framework to which the webbingmaterial is to be tacked. The webbing material is impaled on theelements 12 which will pierce through the interstices of the webbing andboth prongs 14d and 15d are firmly positioned against the furnitureframework 17. Tension may be applied to the webbing by exerting anoutward force upon the hand grasping portions of the tool with theprongs serving as a fulcrum point. The stretching tension applied to thewebbing will exert a force component of the load along the arms and thusbe transmitted to the prongs 14d and 15d. The application of thestretching tension will be uniformly distributed across the width of'thewebbing as the prongs are supported firmly against the framework. Whenapplied to contour framework furniture the webbing is tacked in theconventional manner to one side of the framework and the webbing isextended to the opposite side of theframework to be impaled on theweb-engaging elements 12. The single prong 15d on arm 15 may then beplaced against the framework with the plate member 11 oriented atsuitable angle to engage the webbing and orient the webbing to theproper angular position. Upon application of a suitable stretchingtension the web- 'stretching tool may be pivoted about the prong 15d soas to place the webbing at the desired angle with relation 'to adjacentwebbing without shifting the tool or releasing the applied tension.Obviously, the prong 15d should be positioned within suitable limits ofthe preceding webbing position to assure uniform spacing between webbingTeaches and to avoid raising the tool unnecessarily to shift from onelocation to another. With the prong 15d coinciding with the center lineof the tool, upon load application, there will be a transmission of theforce component acting along the arm 15 to the end of the prong 15d. Inthis way by balancing the load application fa uniform tension may beapplied across the entire width :of the webbing. V

7 As illustrated in Fig. 1 in dotted outline form, the tool 'isbeingpivoted'about the point15d so as to present a webbing impaled on theelements to the appropriate fastening position on a chair framework.

Although the above described embodimentis illustrated as having solidrod members .welded together to form an open handle portion,nevertheless, it is within the contemplation of this invention to castthe entire structure and mount or otherwise embed the elements 12 inposition and at least one projecting prong at the base of the tool.

In Figs. 3 and 4 there is shown a modification ofthe inventive conceptin the form of a pair of T-head pliers 20 in which the individual plierhandle grips 21' and 22 are pivotally connected intermediate their endsat the pivot joint 23 by means of the stud member 24 which is receivedthrough the handles. Handle grip 21 is offset at the joint and continuesto form the forward extension portion to the serrated T-jaw member 25.The other handle grip 22 is similarly ofiset at the joint to form theforward extensionportion for the mating serrated T-jaw 26.

T-jaw 25 is provided with openings spaced linearly throughout the jaw toreceive the individual web-engaging elements 27 which elements aresecurely fastened to the jaw, as by welding, with the web-engagingpoints 28 of the elements 27 protruding from and normal to the serratedjaw 25. The other jaw 26 is provided with correspondingly spacedopenings 29 into which'the points 28 of the elements 27 will register asthe handle grips are brought into clamping relation enabling the jaws toclose and to engage a webbing therebetween.

Extending appreciably beyond and below the jaw 25 is a projectingfulcrum pivot prong 30 which prong may be integrally formed with the jaw25 and handle 21. The prong 30 is shown as converging to the pivot point31 at which point a load may be concentrated and transmitted'to theframework 32 as tension is applied to a webbing securely impaled on theelements 27 and clamped between the serrated jaws 25 and 26.

In the operation of the second embodiment a webbing is impaled on theelements 27 between the T-jaws 25 and 26 and the jaws are closed inclamping engagement. With one end of the webbing secured to a furnitureframework and the other end clamped in the tool, the prong point 31 issupported against a frame and the handle grips are pivoted downwardly toapply the requisite tensioning stress to the webbing. Instead ofpivoting the handles vertically downward to apply tension to a webbingthey may be displaced at a suitable angle while pivoting about the point31.

Many modifications and variations may be made in the construction andarrangement of the handle of the device and the disposition of the pivotpoint for load concentra tion without departing from the real spirit ofthe invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scopeof the appended claims many modified forms of structure as well asequivalents may be reasonably included and modifications arecontemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the character described for applying tension to a fabricwebbing which comprises a plate member, a row of normally projectingaxially spaced web-engaging elements mounted on the plate member, a pairof arms laterally spaced from each other extending normally from theplate member on opposite sides of the center thereof, one of said armsbeing offset toward the medial position of the plate member, the otherof said arms being oifset in the same direction as the first member armand away from the center of the plate member, the free end of each armhaving a prong thereon for supporting the device by the prongs whichengage the furniture whereby the device may be tilted in a lateraldirection, and 1a cross-brace member reaching between arms.

2. A web-stretching device of the character described comprising a platemember having web-engaging elements projecting therefrom, and a handlereaching transversely from said plate member and having a prongextending axially with said'handle for point load con- 5 centration uponapplying a tension to a webbing received 432,428 by the web-engagingelements. 1,503,314 References Cited in the file of this patent2,578,985 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,603,793

265,741 Bidwell Oct. 10, 1882 6 Morton July 15, 1890 French July 29,1924 Schmidt Dec. 18, 1951 Gant Sept. 2, 1952

